Last time your phone was beyond arm’s reach

A few years ago I was watching an Apple Reveal and Tim Cook offhandedly mentioned that "your phone is rarely beyond your reach."

My ADHD makes a phone's novelty draw stronger than the average bear's and I inwardly balked at that fact and have tried to buck that trend, to the point of not having internet or recreational apps on my "phone." 
Staying home with the kids and having literally NOTHING I need to check on it, I still turn to it like a smoker to the pack. I'm able to leave it aside on vacations, but man it's a hard habit to break. 
Anyone else?? 

In reply to P3PPY :

I hear you, two things helped me:

1. Welbutrin
2. Smart watch

The smart watch is nice because I don't have to worry about missing any important calls while I leave my phone in another room, usually on the charger.

In reply to Colin Wood :

That welbutrin E36 M3 is evil. 3 weeks was enough to remind me that a certified nurse practitioner is NOT a psychiatrist and shouldn't be handing out psychiatric drugs like candy. In fact, nobody in medicine outside of psychiatry should be, but that's another thread all together. 

On to the original topic, probably 20 years ago before I had a phone. Before that, I was rarely out of arms reach of my desktop computer. Call it an addiction if you want, but my entire life has been centered around computers since I got my first one at age 8, and having one I can take everywhere with access to literally everything is almost as good as having one directly installed. Directions, information lookups, how tos, games, work, friendships, relationships. By far the most useful tool I've ever owned. 

Any dirty activity. I hate getting my electronics dirty, so if I have dirty hands, I won't be touching my phone. I'm sure others have a greater tolerance for this than I, though.

Most of the time.

Can not stand the thing in my pocket and toss it on a bench or table at the fist opportunity.  Rarely try to answer it when it rings since people hang up after two rings thinking the phone must be in  your hand. Ironic.

You would have to spend a lot of effort to convince me that the cell phone is a net benefit to the human race.

Every weekday. It remains in my car or at home since I cannot have it at work. Additionally, I will leave it in the car when I go out to eat, I find it amusing and sad to see a family out to dinner and every one of them has their nose buried in it while they wait for food.

Rarely. Simply because I can't afford to misplace and replace it. I loose things at an alarming rate. More so when things are not in a familiar place. Like my pocket. Where it is most of the time. Giving my balls cancer. 

In reply to preach :

"I find it amusing and sad to see a family out to dinner and every one of them has their nose buried in it while they wait for food."

NermalSnert (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to preach :

"I find it amusing and sad to see a family out to dinner and every one of them has their nose buried in it while they wait for food."

One of my rules for eating out or at home. No electronics at the dinner table period. 

PW once accused me of being that guy at the dinner table. I asked her if she remembered what I used to do before cell phones.

 If I sat for any reason I either had a magazine, catalog, or newspaper in my hand. 
 

In my job I'm basically on call in the factory. No calls,  no work, and some days I don't get any. My phone serves me well those days. 

If I'm away from home, it's usually in my pocket, or at least in my car.  At home, it's usually never in my pocket and in one of just a few places (dresser, kitchen counter, etc).  I will occasionally misplace it and not know (or care) where it is for several hours.

I use mine a lot. I'm using it now. It's fair to say I'm addicted.

But I DO try to use only as a fill-in, and not when I'm with someone else socially.

DW and I play a lot of video games. When we can, we play couch co-ops. But if we're playing solo games, we still share the couch (and each other's company); one play the game while the other surfs or plays a phone game.

At meals, etc, we try to only have them out if they're being used for actual reference relevant to the conversation.

I don't even know where my phone is now.   Probably somewhere in the house.  Getting texts on my Chromebook is a lifesaver.

24/7. Guilty as charged. 

My phone is upstairs on the end table next to my bed.  I guess I could be on the computer and on my phone at the same time.

Naw.

I have two. One is playing a game. One does phone stuff. Usually another game. 

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564450/how-to-break-up-with-your-phone-by-catherine-price/

Another option: get a "dumb" phone that does calls and texting only. Comedian Aziz Ansari has a bit about phone addiction, in which he says he's "joined Team Flip," i.e, he got a "dumb" flip phone. 

Mine is on a table in the family room. I usually pick it up if I'm leaving the house in a vehicle. It stays on the table overnight and I never take it upstairs to bed.

RevRico said:

On to the original topic, probably 20 years ago before I had a phone. Before that, I was rarely out of arms reach of my desktop computer. Call it an addiction if you want, but my entire life has been centered around computers since I got my first one at age 8, and having one I can take everywhere with access to literally everything is almost as good as having one directly installed. Directions, information lookups, how tos, games, work, friendships, relationships. By far the most useful tool I've ever owned. 

This is me. I don't like doing internet/computer things on a phone. It baffles me that there are people who only use the internet through their phone.

So I'd probably be a phone addict if I didn't have my laptop.

Anytime I go in the plant at work, and anytime I'm out for a jog or a swim.  

Every time I go out on track -- cell phones have no place in a race car. :)

At work it's in my pocket or on my desk.  At home it's typically on the arm of the couch or my desk in my office.

Between the Star Wars group I'm in and "Command Staff" I'm in chats for things that I'd like to keep up on.  Case in point, well known cosplayer in Cincy that wasn't really part of us but joined our events, was arrested for child porn about a month ago & we scrambled to wipe all photos of him at our events, like right now.

Throw in my almost 77 year old mom that lives alone, and has called me at random times of the day/night for medical problems, yeah.  I usually keep it nearby.

The thing that astounds me the most is the people who are crossing busy, multi-lane streets with their nose buried in the phone.   

I probably get about 30 minutes a day where it isn't in arms reach. I'm definitely addicted though. It really bothers me how much time I waste - and it really is wasted.

I get griped at regularly for being slow to respond to texts or answer calls. It's because I'm not a fan of having a phone in my pocket so as soon as I get to work I toss it on my desk, and then rarely sit at my desk or when I get home toss it on the counter. I pretty much only stare at it if I'm looking something up or having a text exchange with someone.

It's a powerful tool that I love having but I know too many people that are slaves to it, so I actively try to minimize its use outside of using it as a tool.

I do occasionally post on GRM on it though